docs: record PR label taxonomy

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Tianyi Cui
2026-07-26 03:28:39 +08:00
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# Agent Note: Semantic pull request label taxonomy
Status: implemented
English | [中文](2026-07-25-semantic-pr-label-taxonomy.zh.md)
## Problem
Pull requests need two different signals: what kind of change they make and which repository domains they affect. A flat or broadly named label set conflates those questions, hides work in distinct areas such as `session` and `llm`, and gives reviewers and automation weak inputs.
The repository also gains new domains over time. Treating today's area labels as a closed set would force future work into inaccurate labels or a generic catch-all.
## Decision
Every open or merged pull request carries exactly one kind and every materially affected area. Closed pull requests that were never merged are outside the maintained historical corpus. Other operational labels may coexist, but they do not satisfy either dimension.
### Kinds
| Kind | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `feature` | Adds or intentionally changes behavior. |
| `bug-fix` | Corrects incorrect behavior. |
| `doc` | Changes documentation only. |
| `testing` | Changes tests or testing infrastructure without changing product behavior. |
| `cleanup` | Preserves behavior while maintaining or simplifying the implementation or repository process. |
The kind records the change's dominant intent: accompanying tests and documentation do not turn a feature or bug fix into a testing or documentation change.
Areas record semantic repository domains rather than temporary initiatives, ownership, or every path touched incidentally. A pull request may carry several areas when it changes several domains.
### Current areas
The 43 current areas are listed below. The group names organize the list for readability; they are not labels or another taxonomy level.
| Group | Areas |
|---|---|
| Agent and model | `agent`, `agent-loop`, `session`, `llm`, `model-context`, `compaction`, `tools`, `persistence` |
| Orchestration | `subagent`, `workflow`, `planning`, `tasks`, `telemetry`, `storage`, `workspace` |
| Capabilities | `bash`, `pty`, `filesystem`, `lsp`, `skills`, `web-search`, `code-mode`, `sandbox`, `mcp`, `hooks`, `cordis` |
| Interfaces | `ui`, `web`, `tui`, `acp`, `json-rpc`, `cli`, `python-sdk`, `desktop`, `vscode`, `website` |
| Repository and release | `dev-infra`, `ci`, `build`, `dependencies`, `platform`, `i18n`, `release` |
### Extensibility
The area set is intentionally extensible. Add an area when a recurring, meaningful repository domain is missing; do not add a label for one pull request, a temporary project, a status, or a person or team. Rename, split, or retire an area when the domain model changes, and update this list and the affected open and merged pull requests together.
The kind set stays narrow because kinds are mutually exclusive. A new kind requires a distinct change intent that cannot be represented by the current five; it is not a substitute for an area.
## Alternatives considered
- **One undifferentiated label set.** Rejected because kind and area answer different questions; mixing them makes the presence of one label say nothing about whether the other dimension was considered.
- **A fixed, closed area set.** Rejected because repository domains evolve. A closed set would preserve spelling at the cost of semantic accuracy.
- **One broad `core` area or package-derived labels.** Rejected because domains such as `session`, `llm`, and `agent` remain independently meaningful across package boundaries, while incidental file paths are not the scope reviewers or automation need.
- **Exactly one area per pull request.** Rejected because coherent changes can legitimately span several domains, and dropping secondary areas hides affected contracts.
## Consequences
- Reviewers and automation receive one stable intent signal plus a complete semantic scope.
- Selecting labels remains a judgment call: paths and title prefixes can suggest areas, but they cannot replace reading the change.
- Taxonomy changes carry maintenance work. Area additions, renames, splits, and removals update this decision record and backfill open and merged pull requests so historical queries keep their meaning.